Thursday, 23 February 2023

Community Health First

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (09:45): This afternoon it will be my pleasure to be sponsoring the launch of the Community Health First campaign here at Parliament House, and I would be delighted for other members to join us if they are able. We will have special guest Dr Norman Swan hosting the event. The campaign brings together 24 Victorian registered independent community health services. They have a plan to help fix the health system crisis by investing more in community health services and using that model of care as a blueprint for the future. Each year community health organisations provide services for more than half a million Victorians across metropolitan, rural and regional areas. These services deliver responsive, high-quality care in their local communities. The evidence is clear that community health centres are by far more cost-effective than the standard model. They save money for the government by taking a burden off our hospital system as well as reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients. If we are serious about fixing the health system crisis, we should be investing more in community health and leveraging their expertise, so I am honoured to be sponsoring the launch of the Community Health First campaign and look forward to either seeing you this afternoon or updating members on the campaign in the future.